PLD Facilitator Profiles

Meet our Facilitators

  • Qualification: DipTchg, HDipTchg, AdDipTchg, CTT, BritScrtDip, DipRec&Sp, PGCStratL., PGDip Arts (Education), GradDipCD&AL (Hons), M.Ed. (Otago)

    Expertise: Local Curriculum Design, Assessment for Learning, Cultural Capability, Susan has taught in primary and high schools as a teacher, and health, dance, and physical education head of department. She also has extensive experience in tertiary/higher education teaching and facilitation, management/leadership roles and sectors. Working as an education consultant since 2006 she has supported diverse educational organisations to build staff capabilities and confidence in a range of areas of challenge and to plot and track these through learning analytics. A pragmatic solution finder, Susan likes to gain a clear understanding of her client’s needs before co-designing a solution that will work for them and their specific setting. She has been a curriculum design and assessment specialist for many years, designing and developing over 360 programmes and qualifications for a range of organisations. The innovator of work and life integrated learning and assessment in New Zealand, Susan designs assessment solutions that engage and support equitable achievement by diverse students, provide visible evidence of progress and easy to follow signposts of where students and teachers need to go next to progress aspirations. As research fellow at the University of Otago she worked with Russell Bishop on implementing te Tiriti o Waitangi to support equitable outcomes for students and staff, writing a book on this project. Since that project Susan has provided te Tiriti implementation workshops and support that empower diverse educational organisations to customise solutions to inclusion and equity related solutions that uphold the mana of all involved and engage the communities within which they exist.

    Developing a range of types of cultural and ethnic capabilities along with enhancement in students, staff, school, family, whānau and community well-being are now the key focus of most of her consulting and research activities. She is an educator with a desire to empower and inspire those she works with.

    Susan is current leading the Aotearoa New Zealand Universal Well-being Tool Investigation and bicultural qualification design work.

    For her latest published research work see:

    https://ako.ac.nz/knowledge-centre/whare-tapa-rima/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEGrg0TTFWU

    NZCDI Profile: https://nzcdi.ac.nz/ABOUT/TEAM/SUSAN-F-STEVENSON

  • Qualification: PhD (SocEc) University of Western Sydney, MSc (ComSc), BSc

    Expertise: Cultural Capability, Assessment for Learning, Digital Fluency

    Kay is a skilled facilitator and qualified mediator who has vast experience in optimising and accelerating professional learning in diverse educational settings over many years. She is highly skilled in identifying challenges precisely and then generating multiple solution options for her clients to select from or customise. Her capacity to swiftly empowering those she works with to higher capability levels is renowned.

    She can promote both teachers and schools in digital fluency, cultural capability, and assessment areas. A long term researcher Kay can support teachers and schools to evaluate thoroughly and continuously learn and progress their programmes of learning lifting outcomes annually. She has understandings of learning analytics and can support teachers and schools to document, monitor and progressively improve through projects and interventions the changes sought.

    With both national and international experience teaching, assessing and researching diverse students Kay can simultaneously build cultural capabilities, develop curricula and assessment materials that are robust, engaging and fit for the specific school or schools she is working with. Positive and encouraging kay is sought after for her warm and helpful approach.

    Kay has significant experience in working with NZQA administered assessment standards and can provide powerful strategies and innovative ways to meet these standards supported by appropriate curriculum design and cultural insights. She is known for her ability to quickly transform assessment performance levels in students.

    For her latest published research work see:

    https://ako.ac.nz/knowledge-centre/whare-tapa-rima/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEGrg0TTFWU

  • Qualification: MBA (Auckland University), B.Sc. (Massey University)

    Expertise: Local Curriculum Design, Assessment for Learning

    David has worked as an educational and business consultant for many years empowering diverse students, staff and stakeholders in schools and the education and business sectors in the fields of economics, and mathematics. He has also developed both curricula and assessments in these fields that relate to the world around us.

    Making learning relevant and engaging for students is one of David’s key talents. Many students and staff are drawn to working with David due to his ability to support students and teachers interested in connecting with the world of business and the equitable opportunities it can create for all. Assessments he creates are real world orientated and can often progress student aspirations and engagement due to how we ll they relate to future life goals.

    Clear and organised David swiftly empowers those he works with to enhance achievements and build stakeholder support for studies and assessments being undertaken. His capabilities and successful real world in business making him a great support to teachers fostering or supporting students with such interests.

  • Iwi Affiliation: Ngāti Maniapoto, Tu Wharetoa

    Qualification: Master of Management, Master of Māori Laws & Philosophy, Master of Indigenous Studies, Dip Theology, BA/LLB

    Expertise: Cultural Capability, Local Curriculum Design, Assessment for Learning, Marau a-Kura, Matauranga Maori and te reo Maori, Aromatawai

    Johnathan has a high level knowledge and skills relating to Māori cultural capability, Marau a-Kura, Matauranga Māori and te reo Māori, aromatawai, local curriculum design and assessment for learning. Hone has worked with diverse iwi, schools, institutions, boards, and organisations that are both partially and fully immersed in Matauranga and kaupapa Māori worldviews. He also has experience providing advice and kaumātua services to such entities.

    In the recent past he has built Matauranga, Te Ao and Kaupapa Māori frameworks to support and ensure progressions in Marau a-Kura, Matauranga Maori and te reo Maori curricula and assessments underpinned by such frameworks. Johnathan can also support those he works with to develop the knowledge and skills to advance their tauira achievements and to try new material and approaches. Guidance he gives builds confidence that tikanga and kawa are region appropriate and relevant.

  • Iwi Affiliation: Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Wairere

    Qualification: Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Bachelor of Māori and Information Management

    Expertise: Cultural Capability, Local Curriculum Design, Marau a-Kura, Matauranga Maori and te reo Maori, Aromatawai

    Eddie completed his high school education at Fairfield High School and after attaining two degrees now oversees the Marae operating on this school’s grounds plus services and supports many organisations. Eddie is expert in facilitating and supporting learning related to Aromatawai, Matauranga, Te Ao and Kaupapa Māori worldviews. His leadership experience includes working on Trusts and Boards at governance level to move kaupapa he regards as valuable.

    A specialist in history, library studies, and especially local Maturanga Māori Eddie can support teachers and schools to enhance and develop their local curricula and assessment based on local knowledge, the local environment and student, school and community needs. Skills include the design and development of resources and materials in his areas of expertise. He is generous and warm in the way he works and can escalate and accelerate learning levels and capabilities in those he works with quickly.

    With links to sites and experiences in the region and further afield Eddie can support teachers and schools to build their capabilities and resources in and with their communities in a way that is memorable and enjoyable. Also close the school marae he supports is a community garden which is a rich source of information, experience and support for science, social studies, history and sustainability projects and initiatives.

    Eddie facilitation skills mean he can empower unconfident teachers and schools to progress into new cultural capability areas in a manner that s both safe and mana upholding. The extent of Eddie capabilities and capacity to especially support the acquisition of new knowledge and skills in his focus areas cannot be over-estimated.

  • Qualification: PGCE University of Hertfordshire, MSc, BSc (Hons)

    Expertise: Cultural Capability, Local Curriculum Design, Assessment for Learning

    A past successful school principal Chris is skilled in developing cultural capabilities and leading change and transformation in educational contexts. He is skilled also in coaching curriculum design and assessment approaches that foster both engagement, cultural responsiveness, and achievement. Leadership and leadership practices are an area of special interest to him.

    Chris has a calm and analytical manner that means he can locate and support the addressing of areas of challenges faced by classroom teachers and leadership alike. He is organised, warm and helpful. His past experience has included working with teachers facing complex new challenges related to curricula, behaviour management, assessment and diverse cultures. He is able to support those he works with to navigate these areas.

    Coming originally from England Chris also has the ability to understand and support the problems that can occur when shifting or moving between different cultural paradigms. He uses a range of coaching techniques to help his clients move from one place to another gathering new capabilities as they go and empowering them to function well and support improved levels of achievement.

  • Iwi Affiliation: Ngāti Wairere

    Qualification: Bachelor of Arts, Communications, Public Relations Minor in Business Management

    Expertise: Cultural Capability, Local Curriculum Design, Digital Fluency

    Heinrich is of Māori and German descent and brings to his work the best of both these ethnic and cultural worlds. He is a talented communicator, facilitator, film creator, sound recorder, and producer (see an example of a digital film that recently went viral below). He is warm, organised and cable of supporting teachers to increase their mastery of a range digital medium to enhance their cultural capabilities and local curriculum design materials and resources. He has worked extensively in the Pacific Islands.

    Capable of supporting the swift development of new and innovative digital fluency, cultural capabilities and curriculum for teachers and schools Heinrich can bring a rich audio video world to classrooms that improves engagement and relevance for students through the media he excels in. An expert in communication and capable musician Heinrich can bring to life the new curricula for staff and students. Example of a Digital Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn8Xx2646Mw

  • Iwi Affiliation: Ngāti Wairere

    Qualification: Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts (Camera), Diploma in Film Making

    Expertise: Digital Fluency, Cultural Capability, Local Curriculum Design

    Johnny is a talented film creator and maker with the qualifications and experience to support teachers and schools to use digital media in new ways. He has advanced technical knowledge and the ability to impart this and support the unconfident to quickly develop new digital capabilities and fluency. These skills alongside innovative assessment practices can open up a world of new possibility while supporting the cultural capabilities of teachers and their ability to engage and motivate students.

    John has a calm manner and is a great listener who can identify the challenges teachers and schools are facing before working with them to co-design solutions. This work can provide fresh ways to connect with students especially through who have been disengaged or find written media challenging. Work with sound and movement captured on film or computers telephone and other media have the power to capture and articulate stories and emotions, see an example of Johnny’s work that went viral below. Example of a Digital Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5_HmlSzpPo

  • Iwi Affiliation: Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngāti Porou

    Expertise: Cultural Capability, Local Curriculum Design, Assessment for Learning, Marau a-Kura, Matauranga Maori and te reo Maori, Aromatawai Wiremu Puke is of Ngāti Wairere, the manawhenua iwi of Hamilton City, Ngāti Porou and Ngati Tuwharetoa.

    His knowledge and capabilities are traditionally based. His experience includes providing independent environmental services to the Hamilton City Council on RMA matters affecting local hapu and provides a manawhenua perspective and for the University of Waikato on urban environmental restoration and an associate researcher with the Faculty of Science. Wiremu has long experience as a consultant and is committed to representing a broad range of cultural perspectives and including Māori perspectives.

    His level of knowledge and understandings of the traditional landmarks and work restoring pre-European landmarks is extensive. Wiremu passes knowledge and skills to others through stories, visits to sites, documents and presentations. Work supporting the Waikato region to trace its Māori history have been extensive. He was for example a member on the Waikato Regional Transport Committee and supported identifying the theming of the central Waikato Basin section of the Waikato Expressway. He is a trained ethnographic researcher and one of the few remaining Māori carvers trained and accomplished in the use of stone tools such as greenstone chisels and stone adzes.

    Wiremu has served as a visiting lecturer to AUT, Auckland, and Waikato Universities on pre steel material culture, and in professional museum studies at the Victoria University School of Architecture on traditional Māori architecture. He was also a key creator and advisor on the development of Hamilton’s Te Parapara Gardens, the first traditional pre-European gardens developed for public education and viewing. These and others sites on which he is expert provide rich sources of information and opportunities to learn and appreciate skills and practice from the past.

    For teachers and schools looking to build local curricula and related assessment materials Wiremu’s expertise is a rich traditional and largely oral source to access. His current research work is with Professor Bruce Clarkson and is focused on ecological restoration projects that combine matauranga Maori with science with a particular focus upon the pre European history of the lands of Kirikiriroa ( Hamilton) and their past uses and traditional artefacts held in museums.

    To see Te Parapara Gardens see: https://www.waikatonz.com/experiences/culture-and-heritage/te-parapara-at-hamilton-gardens/

    https://vimeo.com/198974193 https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/videos/247-wiremu-puke

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh6DI9fs1yY

  • Iwi Affiliation: Ngāti Wairere

    Qualification: Bachelor of Social Science (Double Major in Anthropology and Psychology)

    Expertise: Cultural Capability, Local Curriculum Design, Assessment for Learning, Marau a-Kura, Matauranga Maori and te reo Maori, Aromatawai

    Terri Lee utilises a facilitative approach to work with diverse people and to support their learning aspirations and confidence. She has led programmes with international visitors and others to support the development of their cultural capabilities. She is friendly and supports and upholds the mana of all she works with, building long term relationships. Highly organised in the ways she works with people Terri lee has a gift to engage, and empower teachers and schools with new knowledge, skills and ways of approaching that work in practice.

    Developing curricula that is customised to specific students and their needs is an area where she excels, she is also skilled in adapting curricula and assessments to meet students, staff and school needs. Terri Lee has a high level of local historical knowledge, te reo, aromatawai, Marau a-Kura, and Matauranga Maori. She also holds and shares related skills and experiences at places of interest in her local that enhance capabilities in the areas in which she is skilled.